Harvard Dean Evelynn Hammonds resigns amid email search controversy

Hammonds says controversy was not a motivating factor in her decision

In announcing Hammonds was stepping down last week, Faust praised her for leading the school through years of “remarkable transformation.”

“She has fully invested herself in improving the experience of our undergraduates both inside and outside the classroom, and in promoting a culture of inclusion and community across the College,” Faust said in a statement. “I’m grateful to her for all she has done to help our undergraduates thrive, and we will be fortunate to continue benefiting from her talents and wisdom.”

Hammonds will leave her post July 1 and return to teaching after a sabbatical. Hammonds said in a statement that she is looking forward to redesigning her classes in light of new technological innovations. She is a professor of the history of science and African and African American studies.

“Being dean of Harvard College has been an immensely rewarding experience for me, but I miss engaging deeply with my scholarship and teaching,” she said in the statement. “I am looking forward to redesigning my classes in light of new technologies and modes of teaching, and I’m eager to return to my teaching and research on race, genomics and gender in science and medicine.”